dpinney / r3it

R3IT: Rapid, Resilient, Rural Interconnection Toolkit for automating solar and storage connection to the grid.

Overview

R3IT is a free and open-source web application that allows utilities to automate the processing of solar interconnection requests.

It handles request submission, request review workflows, payment collection, signature collection, email notifications for any status changes, and optionally an automated engineering screening and approval process.

For full details on the application:

• see our presentation on automated interconnection screening, or
• read our guidebook on best practices in rapid solar interconnection analysis.

Application Deployment

Installation

1. Bring up an Ubuntu 20.04 LTS machine.
2. Configure DNS to point to new VM (needed for TLS cert creation).
3. Ensure ports 443 and 80 are open (e.g., on hosting provider's firewall).
4. Clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/dpinney/r3itto /opt/
5. Edit r3it/config.py to add API keys, domain name, emails, etc. as appropriate.
6. Run the install script cd /opt/r3it; sudo python install.py

Configuration

The application can be configured to match your utility branding and integrate with services you use. Configuration is optional--you can deploy with defaults, or change them. Some of the things that can be configured:

1. A domain (or subdomain) for the app.
2. A Stripe account and API key for payment integration.
3. Email addresses for the system admin, engineers, and member services staff.
4. SMTP credentials and an email address for automated emails from application.
5. Branding: a Co-op logo, background image, and text that should be shown on the home screen.

Updating the Application

In the main r3it directory, run a git pull. Updated code will be installed, while the database and configuration values will be preserved.

License

This software is available for free under the open source GNU General Public License, GPLv3.

Acknowledgments

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Solar Energy Technologies Office Award Number DE-EE0009011. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S.Department of Energy or the United States Government.